Frivolities, Especially Addressed to Those Who Are Tired of Being Serious

Marsh, Richard, 1857-1915Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.6
Word count
354K words
Chapters
36

Tags

English Originals Essays and Miscellany Portrait GallerySpiritual ComfortSlow ReadingDaily ReflectionsLife WisdomLight ReadingHumor ReliefSatirical StylePopular NarrativeVictorian Era

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Frivolities, Especially Addressed to Those Who Are Tired of Being Serious by MarshAuthor: Marsh, Richard, 1857-1915,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Aug 8, 2012

Editor's review

The title Frivolities, Especially Addressed to Those Who Are Tired of Being Serious states its aim outright: it is written for those weary of seriousness. Richard Marsh treats everyday subjects in a light, playful style, making the book suitable for dipping into when tired or in need of a change. Project Gutenberg has prepared it as a free English ebook in the English literature category, so it is easy to obtain. Its value lies not in grand narrative but in offering light reading and a slice of period humor. Readers may treat it as short-form entertainment and need not look for a continuous plot or deep themes. Because the work is early, some humor and phrasing bear the marks of its time, and modern readers may need a little patience. Overall, it works as a buffer between serious reading and is also suitable for readers interested in popular humorous sketches to browse at leisure.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. It need not be read from page one; pick pieces at random to get a feel for the tone.
  2. Read one or two pieces at a time; suitable for light bedtime or commute reading.
  3. Skip period jokes when needed and focus on the overall tone and humor.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36

FAQ

Is this book a novel or an essay collection? The information only shows that it is an English work by Richard Marsh in the English literature category, and the title suggests light, playful content. The exact genre needs to be confirmed by looking at the original book; it should not be expected in advance as a full-length novel.
Why is it said to suit those tired of seriousness? The title directly states that it is written for readers tired of seriousness, and the overall tone is light and playful. It is better suited as diversionary reading than as a work carrying heavy themes or complex argument.
What English level is needed to read it? The work is in early English, and its vocabulary and humor bear period features. Readers with intermediate English reading ability who are willing to accept old-fashioned expressions are more suitable; those with weak English may need supporting tools.

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About the author

Marsh, Richard, 1857-1915 Author

Richard Marsh (1857-1915) was a British novelist of the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, known for intricately plotted tales of mystery and suspense. Twenty-one of his works are held here, the best known being The Beetle: A Mystery, which belongs to the popular "monster novel" tradition of its day and echoes contemporary Gothic horror; A Second Coming draws on religious and apocalyptic themes. Other titles, such as Amusement Only, A Duel, Between the Dark and the Daylight, Miss Arnott's Marriage, Tom Ossington's Ghost and A Woman Perfected, range across the supernatural, crime, marriage and suspenseful adventure. Public information is limited and biographical details remain obscure, but his work shows a gift for atmosphere and startling twists, making him a name worth noting in the study of late Victorian popular fiction and horror literature.